What's Happening?

Join the Festival of Voices for an afternoon concert of singing. All of the festivals participants gather together to showcase their voices alongside the 2018 Special Guests Voices Co. A gorgeous summary and conclusion of the Festival of Voices spirit and joy for singing.

Join in a whole day of learning, singing and complete the Festival of Voices Weekend with a Finale Performance Concert for friends and family.

Voices Co. director and arranger Julian Hay and Hanmer Sings’ Choir director Rosalind Kelly join the Festival of Voices leadership team to teach and prepare singers for the Festival of Voices Finale. Experience learning a variety of songs and engaging with the teaching styles of song & choir leaders on a mission – sharing the joy of music and singing.

Workshop Leaders

Julian Hay – Voices Co. With Voices Co. recently taking out the win on TV1’s ‘the Naked Choir’, Julian is a leading light in the national contemporary a cappella scene and his innovative and meticulous arrangements have become a trademark of Voices Co. With a MusB in Composition as well as his DipABRSM in Performance, Julian is a sought after arranger, vocal tutor and music communicator. A staunch advocate for the importance of ensemble singing, his knack for combining music and education is both inspiring and infectious. Alongside his current work with Voices Co. Julian has spent the past 10 years as a tertiary tutor specialising in Contemporary Voice, more recently as a vocal tutor at NZ’s National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts (NASDA), runs a growing private vocal practice, and is a self-confessed coffee addict.

Jillie Toogood – Jabulani. Jillie has been leading groups for over twelve years and has been involved in weekly improvisation playshops, performance choirs and choirs just for fun. She has also taken a support role in a singing program offered at the Christchurch Women’s Prison.As a member of the English based, Natural Voice Network, she believes that it is everybody’s birthright to sing. Her love of improvisation has been her long-time passion and she loves to share this ‘playtime’ with others.

Rosalind Kelly – Hanmer Sings Rosalind loves living in Hanmer Springs! She is passionate about all things music and in particular she loves building people’s confidence through music and drama. Rosalind teaches piano, singing and speech lessons and takes drama and musical theatre classes. She founded and runs both the local adults choir, Hanmer Sings and the children’s choir, Spark! Rosalind has directed, musical directed and choreographed three of the past four shows with Amuri Players, the local theatre group. She thrives on seeing her students enjoy themselves and shine as they push out of their comfort zones!

Lisa Tui Jonathan – Bright on Vibes. Singer-songwriter, choir director and singing teacher, Lisa Tui has taught and facilitated singing for 17 years. Her passion is assisting in the creative endeavours of others as well as pursuing her own writing and performing by studying music pedagogy at Otago University, completing training in Adult Education and throwing herself into learning situations to keep her honest. Along with completing her performing arts training at NASDA, Lisa’s vocal studies have included Voicecraft International Complete and her work has been filmed in the NZ Documentary ‘Singing with Conviction’. Music theatre productions, Jazz and Folk Festivals, bands and recordings have all been part of her background as a vocalist and songwriter with 5 independent releases in 2017. www.lisatui.com.

If you’re familiar with the names Pentatonix, Pitch Perfect or Glee, then you already have a pretty good idea of what Voices Co. get up to. Having recently won TV1’s ‘the Naked Choir’ they will be featuring in the CONCERT SOIREE as the Festival of Voices, Guest Artists. With choirs from various regions, the evening is a celebration of singing and the dynamic groups who thrive being part of our singing communities.

In this playshop we will explore the creative aspects of improvisation and how this can free up your voice and your choir. Everybody can take part – if you don’t want to doo… you can always wop! If you are a budding soloist or a much needed back-up singer – this playshop is for you. No experience needed.

Jillie has been leading groups for over twelve years and has been involved in weekly improvisation playshops, performance choirs and choirs just for fun. She has also taken a support role in a singing program offered at the Christchurch Women’s Prison.

As a member of the English based, Natural Voice Network, she believes that it is everybody’s birthright to sing. Her love of improvisation has been her long-time passion and she loves to share this ‘playtime’ with others.

Her favourite quote:

Use what talents you possess, the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best”

Discover ways to free the quality of your singing and enhance your experience.

Packed with information and vocal techniques to enhance your singing, this workshop is designed to assist you to sing with more confidence and clarity, certainty and joy.

Led by Naomi Ferguson

Naomi Ferguson has been performing professionally in New Zealand for twenty years. Recent highlights include performing at the Christchurch Jazz and Big Band festivals in 2017, the dual roles of Diva and Shirley for Showbiz Christchurch’s production of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, and the role of Blanche du Bois for Canterbury Repertory’s season of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE.

An accomplished musician,Naomihasperformedat nationalandlocal festivalsandalso at international venues in Korea, Hong KongandThe Netherlands. Naomi is also a committed educator, having taught singing, songwriting, performance and choirs for over 20 years, in the Canterbury region as well as nationally.

Lisa Tui Jonathan – Bright on Vibes. Singer-songwriter, choir director and singing teacher, Lisa Tui has taught and facilitated singing for 17 years. Her passion is assisting in the creative endeavours of others as well as pursuing her own writing and performing by studying music pedagogy at Otago University, completing training in Adult Education and throwing herself into learning situations to keep her honest. Along with completing her performing arts training at NASDA, Lisa’s vocal studies have included Voicecraft International Complete and her work has been filmed in the NZ Documentary ‘Singing with Conviction’. Music theatre productions, Jazz and Folk Festivals, bands and recordings have all been part of her background as a vocalist and songwriter with 5 independent releases in 2017. LisaTui.com.

If you are attending the Festival of Voices weekend and you are a Song Leader or Choir Director, register here for the festival and the song leaders workshop, should you wish to participate.

When you are busy leading and managing your group, would you sometimes like to sing in a small ensemble too? In this workshop you’ll be preparing for the Festival of Voices, Hanmer Springs Finale as well as learning strategies as song leaders that bring out the best in your group.

Singing is fun at all ages but what are some of the New Zealand songs for kids that make us unique, that affirm who we are and tell stories that we can relate to from our environment, from our cultures and/or from our own NZ composers and artists.

This workshop tunes up the children’s voices, helps them feel the excitement of making music together with body and vocal percussion. It uses New Zealand repertoire to learn about the social relevance of music as a means to express and capture our experiences and stories as an art form.